This invention relates generally to a compact gear box and particularly to a gear box for use with a corn harvesting unit.
Corn harvesting assemblies which are used as an attachment for combine harvesters are well known. Such assemblies typically include a set of adjustable corn harvesting units and are generally attached to the front end of the combine. The assembly is driven by power supplied by the combine and each unit includes a corn harvesting roll assembly and a gathering chain assembly.
Harvesting units of the type under consideration are shown generally in U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,121 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,110. The former patent discloses a harvesting unit having a double drive shaft system having separate drive shafts for the harvesting roll assembly and the gathering chain assembly. The latter patent discloses a harvesting unit having a single drive shaft system and a gear box which transmits power to both the harvesting roll assembly and the gathering chain assembly. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,110 the gears within the gear box are arranged essentially in two tiers and this arrangement, in addition to utilizing a greater number of gear box components, results in a particularly heavy and large gear box unit.
The above disadvantages are overcome in the present gear box in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.